A Distance Growing
by ShadyxLane
Summary: Secrets are frequent in this household. Edward's got a secret, and so does his wife Bella. Secrets can destroy the most precious of things, with three children mixed in it, their secrets are hurting more than each other. Can they make their way back from the secrets and tragedy or were they doomed to fall apart. Appearances by: ALL our Cullens, Tanya, James, Mike. AH/AU/OOC
1. Prologue

**A Distance Growing**

**This story will not be told from Renesmee's POV, only the Prologue and possibly a few other chapters but I intend on centering it on Edward, Bella, and their issues. **

**Disclaimer**: My name is not Stephenie. Therefore, I do not own Twilight and write this out of my love for the characters. However, IF I did own Twilight, Bella would have taken a flamethrower to Edward's ass when he left in New Moon, then she would've screwed Mike Newton just to piss Edward off, then they would've done the whole forever thing.

Prologue

I remember when we used to be a happy family, when things were better than they are now. Now, they hardly even look at each other and when they do, they do it for our sake; mine and my siblings. My brother, Eliot doesn't notice because he's only four and all the tension started about a year after he was born. Masen is fourteen and he just ignores our parents because he spends most of his time with our uncle Emmett. I'm only ten and I feel I'm the only one keeping this family together; it's a lot of weight for a ten year old. I plead with them to eat dinner at the table rather than in their separate offices and it generally works.

If I didn't try, I think this might have ended two years ago. I'm determined to keep my family together, grandma always says "Family sticks together, sometimes things get broken and need something to hold them together – like glue, but they always stick together." I'll be that glue.

I don't want to be the girl with the feuding parents, or the ones going up for divorce. I was raised Catholic, and I know divorce is not the better option. You have to work at it, and now everything I believe in is being compromised. I will not let what I believe become a lie, I'll make it my mission to preserve what is left of who we all used to be. How my mother would brush my hair every night before bed, before when she would tell me how much she loved my hair for being like my fathers and who'd tell me how she loved how I looked more like him than she. Before my father smelled like cigarettes, and spent late nights in his office tapping away at his computer or sometimes creep in our house at dead time. Back when he'd just want to go for a drive with me and Mase and hangout or to buy mom something she would say was too extravagant, and makes that 'I'm-going-to-rip-you-a-new -one' face that made him laugh.

* * *

"Nessie! Breakfast is ready, hurry in there, please and thank you." I heard my mother call up the stairs. Something's are somewhat the same as before, mom always wakes us up; she dresses Elijah, makes breakfast and then sees us off to the school bus.

I made my way down the stairs and saw that she'd made all of our favorites. French toast with strawberry, turkey and cheese omelettes and all the fixings, and maple sausage; everything covered in Syrup. I took a seat and ate like there would be no tomorrow. My dad walked in, gave a slight smile in my direction. He looked rough. Mom sat his plate and coffee in front of him without so much as a look. Masen rolled his eyes moved his plate just as dad's phone rang.

"Going to answer that Edward?" Masen.

"No, and since when do you call me Edward?"

"Since whenever the hell I feel like it, douche." Masen has got to be out of his mind, he's never done anything like this.

"I'm your father; don't talk to me like that." Dad was now rubbing his temple while standing over Masen. Masen grabbed his bag and looked dad in the eye, nearly a splitting image except for the hair color belonging to our mother. The chestnut brown color that had traces of red in the sunlight is one thing dad used to admire about her, "No one in Forks had hair like Bella Swan" he'd say and she'd reply "No one in the world had hair like your father, as bronze as a new penny and so wild it looked like he'd been fighting with a blow dryer." I was pulled from those more appealing times when Masen pushed his chair out from under the table and point his finger at dad

"Father? Right… well keep telling yourself that buddy. You haven't been much of a _father_ in the past two years. Uncle Emmett is more of a father to me than you, hell my math teacher knows me better, even homeless Harry in the park ranting on about how Daniel Radcliffe and J.K. Rowling owe him money for using his life story knows more about me than you do. I've had dinner with him more times this month than we've had as a family all year. Uncle Emmett taught me how to play baseball and comes to all of my football games, even talked me down from the embarrassment of my first erection," he seethed, "you lent me your DNA so I'm one pretty bitch I'll give you that but, you're not my father."

Dad's phone rang again and he walked out of the kitchen through the patio door.

* * *

"Okay then," mom said "time for school, you've got a bus to catch."

"Can't you drive us?" I asked.

"You'll be early, are you sure?"  
"I've got some things to do in the library." Masen said in a disgruntled tone, something like grandpa Charlie did when he was dissatisfied.

"Okay in the car then, I'll be right out. Make sure you've got everything."

Mom walked out onto the patio just as dad hung up the phone and she motioned towards the garage, and he just turned away and walked inside. Not so much as a touch or a look, they'd always look at each other when shy smiles of love and we never fought or went head to head like dad and Masen. I just want to cry.

That isn't who we are anymore but so help me God it's who we're going to be or my name isn't Renesmee Carlie Cullen…And I can assure you it is.

**End Note: I've only written Jacob and Paul/Bella and Pack centered fanfics before usually with co-authors. This storyline is my own, not the characters except Eliot and Masen. I hope you enjoyed the prologue from the POV of Nessie.**

**Review to let me know if I should keep going. **

**x Shay **


	2. All This Wrong Doing

**A/N: Chapter One in its entirety, ten pages ;) I lost internet connection and my company wants to charge $320, yeah rightttt. Not happening so I'm using my useless wifi but I'm getting a new service so. Updates will be everyday as opposed to every two days. **

**Disclaimer: If I owned Twilight, I'd be a millionaire … I'm not. Logic: Me no millionaire, me no own Twilight.**

**Bella's POV**

We drove along the freeway, with Eliot splayed out in the booster seat, eyes closed and mouth wide open. Renesmee, my sweet compassionate daughter with a heart that rivaled Esme's. She sat in deep thought occasionally alternating glances between the trees and the back of Masen's seat. Masen was reading his favorite book. Catcher in the Rye. I can't fathom how many times he's read it. We pull off the exit to the school complex. First stop, the elementary school. Renesmee leaned forward and kissed my cheek."

"Bye mom, I'll see you after school. I love you."

"I love you too, have a good day." I waved her off as she closed the door to the prius. Then, I pulled off and headed around the corner to the junior high school.

"I could've walked around the corner you know."

"So what, I like driving you. Plus, we need to talk."

Nothing.

"About what you said to your father…"

"Edward Cullen is NOT my father!"

"Except he is and you probably hurt is feelings. If you decided I wasn't your mother for some reason, I'd be shattered."

"He looked fine, he'll live. I told the truth mom. He hurt my feelings too. Knowing I have games on Saturdays, his day off he can't even show up or at least say 'Good Luck' He's never there, so why appease him? He doesn't deserve it."

"Talk to him about it."

"I've said all I have to say to him, I'm not going to sit down and take his bullsh…crap and you shouldn't either! You're so beautiful mom and you're not happy anymore. I don't really know what's going on between the two of you but you don't need to be miserable, we could leave; it wouldn't upset me if you left him. We could move and you could be happy and have a proper relationship with someone who cares about you like you do for them. I wouldn't blame you, he did this, he started it and he's not trying anymore, so you shouldn't have to." I grabbed my son around his back, leaning forward, clutching my son as if I might die if I let go, with tears streaming down my face, I did the only thing I could.

"I'm so sorry, I'm a terrible mother putting you through this and I'm so sorry."

I apologized. We're hurting out family.

I called out of work today, the perks of owning your own publishing corporation. Anyone could read those books and edit them for me; it's what I pay them for. I'm entitled to a day off every week and at the rate this day is going I need it. I drove down Mercer street towards Toddler Time daycare as Eliot sang along to the KISS song "Shout it Out Loud" banging his head. It always wakes him and gets him going and ready for daycare.

"Shout it, shout it, shout it out leroudddddd! MOMMY TURN IT UP, PLEASEEEEE."

"That's as loud as it goes sweetie."

We made our way into the parking lot and out the car towards the center, Eli's bag on my shoulder and his hand in mine. I greeted Donna and Eric, the caretakers and got him settled in; putting his bag and blanket into the cupboard then sent him off to watch television with the small congregation of four year olds. As I made my way out the double doors I pulled out my phone and called my best friends Angela and Mike asking them to meet me at our favorite coffee shop, Caffe Fiore. It's the most comfortable place to spend a rainy Seattle day.

**Edward's POV **

It's not even noon and today has already been the day from hell. After my son decided he would disown me, my associate called to let me know our boss Mr. Witherdale wouldn't be in today. Then again when was that ass ever here? He'll come in tomorrow gloating about the girl that kept him in bed all day. Now that we knew we wouldn't be seeing him today , we had to give his clients the information on the out of court settlement offer that had come forth.

I walked and went straight to my office, full of picture frames of my mother, father, my siblings Emmett and Alice and my some of my family. The most recent one taken three years ago. The gold Chantilly pattern frame adorned the portrait was a gift from my mother for giving her another grandchild to coddle. My entire office was decorated around that single frame. My mother had all the cherry wood set to contrast the frame and golden trinkets to sit upon the bookshelf and side stands.

After forty-five minutes of rifling through Witherdale's files and organizing them to a more suitable manner, my secretary graced me with her presence.

"Tanya, you're late." I called through my office door.

"I called to let you know, left a message with Charlotte…she should've let you know." She said in a matter of fact tone. She entered the threshold, in a grey power suit and flipped her hair over her shoulder exposing the other side of her neck. "Plus, I would've been here on time if you'd actually spend the night. We could make it here _together, _everyday if you like but if you're going to keep me up until two in the morning and then leave me in bed all alone, don't expect me here so early if you're not going to be there to wake me up."

I felt my pants tighten…, today is going to be a very long day.

**Bella's POV**

"Hey guys." They'd arrived fifteen minutes after I had.

"Arizona, how you liking the rain?" he chuckled.

"Mike, that's really gotten old. Seventeen years and you've been recycling that joke as often as possible." I replied.

"Hey Bella, you sounded pretty anxious on the phone…what happened?" Angela.

"Actually I was thinking, I need to get the truth out there to someone and who better than you two? Not anyone of course."

I really didn't want to get into this but what Masen said got to me, here I am thirty-four and my fourteen year old is giving me advice. He's absolutely right though, I've found someone who makes me happy. It may not be that schoolgirl feeling I used to get when I met Edward but I'm not a schoolgirl anymore, I'm a grown ass woman. I shouldn't feel trapped in a marriage where I know my husband it sleeping with not only his secretary but her sister too.

"Edward's sleeping with his secretary?" Mike.

"…And her sister?" Angela.

Well, so much for easing them into it, and I really need to work on saying things to myself and saying them out loud. It's like when I lost my virginity, I was speculating a pregnancy that was nonexistent because we'd used every form of birth control we could get (call it post-virginal nerves) and my dad grabbed his gun so fast and sped off to Paul's house. It was like watching a live action version of David Geddes 'Run Joey Run'.

"Yes, it's been going on for a long time and he still thinks I don't know about it. It was three years ago, I went to drop off this package he'd been expecting and Witherdale said he was in one of the conference rooms and when I reached the door I heard them inside. I was suspicious before when I found out I had Chlamydia; where else could I have gotten it? I didn't even tell him that I found out I had it just got the treatment and that's about it."

"I'm going to kill him; you'll both come visit me in prison I hope because when I see him he's dead. First, you break up with Paul and then he decides to sweep you off your feet like there weren't any other guys for you, that he was as good as it got, and that he could do no wrong. Now he pulls some crap like this, sorry to bring up the past like this but after Paul he fought me tooth and nail for you; I finally gave in when he promised he wouldn't do anything to hurt you and I swore that if he did I'd get in my car and run him down. Now that promise is sixteen years old but I don't go back on my word." Mike ranted, I couldn't help but smile. I wasn't smiling at the fact that he just offered to off my husband but that after all the times I'd hurt him in when we were younger he threatened Edward who had been older and had his brother Emmett looking out for him at the time.

"That's really sweet Mike, but don't kill him. I may consent to you kicking his ass but I wouldn't want to have to see your pretty face through Plexiglas or you becoming the bitch to some fat guy named Hank."

"Wait!" Angela shrieked, "you said you'd met someone, who and why didn't you tell us?"

"I knew if I told you you'd tell Ben and Mike would tell Leah and the last thing I need is everyone knowing. I really wanted to see if we could work it out but we're like two ships passing in the night."

"Okay, so who is it then?" she questioned, Angela was never hungry for gossip, that was usually Alice, Edward's younger sister.

"His name is James. He's fantastic and down to earth. He's a lawyer and he's a little older than me but I really, really like him."

"A lawyer and his name is James?" She looked at me like I kicked her puppy, "like James Witherdale you're dating your husband's boss? This is messed up on too many levels. I love you and I love Edward but you guys are so screwed up."

"We're not dating, we just talk." I know defending my relationship with James. I sounded like a girl whose mother found her diary entry about her first crush. "Masen said something today that made me think, I should give it a try with James. Edward isn't trying and I'm tired of trying. I want someone who wants me back, and it's James."

"Hell, I say go for it. I knew Edward was a douche from day and if you like this James guy, go for it. The fact that he can fire the douche is just icing on the cake of ceremonial good riddance." Mike said with a smile plastered on his face, "Don't forget to invite me to wedding number two!"

"I just don't think any of this is right, you two made a commitment. I don't condone what he's done or doing but you two are bigger than this. What about your children, Masen is older he'll deal but Eliot and Renesmee will probably be shattered."

"Angela, sometimes things don't work out. Bella shouldn't be keeping herself in a relationship that doesn't work. It's one of the reasons women commit suicide so often, and I'll be damned if she ends up in dead because of some lecherous lustful dickhead, excuse the language. I've got to go, but one more thing do what you think needs to be done. James may be the one or maybe not but if you think it's worth the try don't let him hold you back." Mike said then he kissed both our cheeks and walked out the door to make it back to work before his break was over.

"I've got to go too, but call me and let me know what's going on soon okay? I can't believe you guys kept this from me but I'm always here."

With that they walked out the door and left me to make a very important phone call.

**Masen POV**

I know exactly what I'm going to do; mom wants me to talk to Edward… well then I will. I'll take the bus down to his office and I'll tell him exactly what he needs to hear.

I texted Renesmee and let her know that when she got out of school, I'd be on my way back already. She had no clue what I was doing she probably thought I didn't pay any attention to what is going on but I know more than she does. She thinks it's some small issue to be resolved but it goes deeper and I'm going to get the unadulterated truth.

I made my way to the public transit bus stop and found my way to the bus that would get me where I needed to be in less than 20 minutes, when I heard my name being called.

"Masen, hey wait up!"

It was Georgia, my kind of girlfriend. We've hung out and kissed on occasion but we've yet to become official. That's something I desperately wanted to change.

"Hey, Gee. What're you doing?"

"Following you of course, where you going?"

"I'm going to talk to my father, I guess."

"Okay, I'm totally coming with you then. I don't know what I'd do if I had to sit in school all day … it's a Monday. I can't take it."

So with that we boarded the bus and we made our way to Witherdale & Associates law firm.

We had made it to the building, and took the elevator up to the top floor where Edward worked.

"Okay, you wait here" I told her, "I'll be back in five minutes tops, just need to tell him something and clear a few things up I said this morning." She kissed my cheek and sat down near the kiosk.

I made my way down the hall and stopped in front of the door, and turned the knob only to find some blonde woman who really needed a decent meal half naked in the chair and my- _Edward _with his head between her legs. They turned around simultaneously, and they both looked shocked. I stood there for a minute, at least expecting them to cover up, when they didn't I screamed bloody murder.

"This? **This?** _This is what you've been doing?_ I knew I was right to tell mom to leave you, and wait until she hears this, she'll leave in a heartbeat. Don't come home tonight either, not like you spend many nights there anymore anyway. Don't come near me ever again or I swear I'll kill you."

I grabbed the frame off the wall and threw it against the desk leaving glass shards all over the floor.

"You don't deserve us as a family. God must have thought it be a funny punishment to give us you, and to think I came here to talk about what I said this morning, fuck if I was right to say what I said. _**Have a nice life fucker**_."

I walked away, face red and I could hear him screaming for me to come back. Fuck him. I grabbed Georgia by the arm and lead her to the elevator. I'll make him pay, I swear I will.

**Bella POV**

"Hey babe, you called" I could hear the smile on his face.

"Hello James, I just called to see if you were working today, but you actually answered so I'm guessing not." I replied.

"No, I'm home, all alone might I add. Would you like to come over?" he question, I knew he thought I'd say no, I always said no. We'd meet up at restaurants or other public places but today was a new day.

"Yeah, give me fifteen minutes and I'll be there."

Today was going to be his lucky day, I'm going to catch up with Edward peg for peg, I guess he doesn't know cheating is a game for two to play.


End file.
